1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a measurement and testing system. More particularly, the invention relates to a measurement and testing system that includes a measurement assembly, at least one visual display device, and a specially programmed data acquisition and processing device.
2. Background
Measurement and testing systems are utilized in various fields to detect and analyze many different measurable quantities. For example, in biomedical applications, measurement and testing systems are used for gait analysis, assessing balance and mobility, evaluating sports performance, and assessing ergonomics. However, conventional measurement and testing systems have numerous limitations and drawbacks.
First of all, the data collected by a typical measurement and testing system is not normally arranged in an organized and easily accessible manner. For example, the data collected on various dates, and at different times, is often grouped together in a single overall listing. This conventional organizational scheme makes it very difficult for the user of the system to find the data when, for example, he or she needs to refer back to data from a test that was performed on a particular day, and at a certain time. The finding of such data becomes increasingly more difficult when the quantity of the previously acquired data increases.
Secondly, because different screens of a typical data acquisition and/or analysis software program often look very similar to one another, a user of the system may not be readily aware that he or she is switching between different program modes (e.g., by clicking on different options in the program). As such, the user becomes momentarily disoriented until he or she realizes that the program mode has changed, thereby resulting in an increased amount of time to execute the requisite commands in the program and a consequential decrease in the overall efficiency by which the measurement and testing process can be carried out.
Moreover, because a typical data acquisition and/or analysis software program is often utilized by end users having a large variety of different testing needs, ideally the program would be easily customizable to suit these various needs. However, conventional data acquisition and/or analysis software programs are written in a complex software programming language that is rarely understandable to the end users of the measurement and testing system. As such, because the end users are not fluent in the specialized programming language in which the program is written, they are unable to modify the software program in order to suit their specific needs (e.g., they are unable to develop a customized test).
Furthermore, even though it is relatively common for a measurement device to become inadvertently disconnected from the data acquisition/processing device of the system (e.g., when the electrical cable of the device becomes disengaged from the data acquisition device), conventional measurement and testing systems fail to provide an effective means for readily alerting a system user of such a condition. In addition, conventional measurement and testing systems also fail to effectively alert the system user when the data received from measurement device is corrupted.
Therefore, what is needed is a measurement and testing system including a data acquisition and processing device that is specially programmed to generate a timeline bar with date icons for organizing output data in accordance with the date and time on which it was acquired. In addition, what is needed is a measurement and testing system that includes a data acquisition and processing device which is specially programmed to readily alert a system user when he or she switches between different mode selection tabs of the data acquisition and/or analysis software program loaded thereon. Moreover, a measurement and testing system is needed that includes a data acquisition and processing device that is specially programmed to read external files containing one or more testing routines written off-site so as to enable additional tests to be easily incorporated into the measurement and testing software program. Furthermore, a need exists for a measurement and testing system having a data acquisition and processing device which is specially programmed to automatically alert a system user when one or more signals from a measurement device are no longer detected and/or are corrupted.